Catching Memories
by Lianna-snow
Summary: Post canon. It's Ziva's birthday and she's more than ready to get a romantic surprise from Tony. However, what she gets is considerably less than what she expected; or is it more? A short story on how even the simplest things in life can make all the difference, if you do them with the right person.
1. Chapter 1

Catching Memories-1

This fic is a birthday gift for my dear friend Ash:) I think she's superashy8 here. If you haven't already checked out her stories, you totally should! She's an AMAZING writer:D Ash, if you're reading this, YOU WANTED FLUFFY, SO YOU GOT IT;) HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR, AND I HOPE YOU MAKE LOTS OF GREAT MEMORIES TODAY:) Love you^^ *hugs*

Originally, this was supposed to be a drabble. However, after I started writing it, this fic started stretching and stretching and told me that I couldn't sleep until I finished it. Unfortunately, I realised that it had the potential to become a full fledged fic so... Haha, there you have it:) This short fic of mine will have around 3 short chapters. Each one will describe a scenario of how they spend their time. The story takes place over ONE DAY, so I apologise if it seems draggy. Much like this Author's note eh? Well, let me know what you think about it:)

ENJOY~

Disclaimer- THE DAY I RECEIVE AUTOGRAPHED NCIS SEASON 9 DVDS, then we can talk. (when the oceans dry up and the sky turns yellow)

Chapter 1 Proper Remedy

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"I cannot believe you talked me into this, Tony." Ziva grumbled, as she bent down to retrieve the sponge.

"Well, I can't believe you didn't figure this out sooner!" Tony called out from the other side of the vehicle.

"Tony, I am standing here, helping you wash your CAR. Did you honestly think that I would envision my birthday being spent like this?" She poked her head over the side of the car to shoot him a glare, before standing up.

"I did say that your birthday surprise was going to be unexpected." Tony said with a shrug, dodging the wet sponge thrown in his direction.

"Tony!" She growled, quickly growing impatient with his antics. She had been expecting a special romantic surprise planned from her boyfriend, but instead, she was dipping sponges into a bucket and helping him wash his car. Tony quickly ducked under the car to retrieve the sponge before he forgot about it.

"Well, you weren't exactly supposed to stay over last night!" He said sheepishly, as he leaned over the hood and deposited her dripping sponge in front of her.

"I did not see you complaining at all, last night." Ziva gave him a knowing smirk, leaning closer to him over the car hood with a sultry edge in her voice. "In fact, I should say, you were quite a willing participant in last night's...activities."

Seeing as Tony's eyes remained glued to her figure, Ziva grinned. Even after having dated her for six months already, he still acted like he hadn't just seen her naked about 3 hours ago. "In fact, I finally get why you made me help you wash your car. It is because you wanted to get me wet." She deliberately dropped her tone to what Tony called her "bedroom voice", and watched with immense delight as her boyfriend's gaze travelled from her mouth to the rest of her body.

"Well, that definitely can be remedied." He got out, his mind rapidly picturing all sorts of wet and soapy Ziva scenarios for him.

"Oh yes, it can." Ziva's grin became even wider as she stretched over his windscreen provocatively. It reminded him of their first conversation 8 years ago, when she had barged into their lives and refused to leave without a fight. He grinned back and leaned forward to capture her lips with his.

The next thing he knew, Tony was splashed with the soapy water from Ziva's bucket. He looked down at his soaked green T-shirt clinging to his skin, and pulled it off in a grand show. Ziva immediately burst into a rare, carefree laughter as she replied his unspoken question. "There! The situation has been properly remedied."

Tony smiled as he watched her. If there was one thing Anthony Dinozzo Jr never tired of, it was making Ziva David laugh. It wasn't like the side she showed at the office, professional at all times, letting out small chuckles when she had to. The Ziva David he knew outside the office was warm and loving, never failing to keep him on his toes with her sharp wit and humor. She was still Ziva, but this was a side that she only showed to him.

He remembered how openly sexy she used to be, and how much both of them have grown since then. Ziva hadn't changed. She had only hidden away her acute sense of feminity and sexuality to the others to protect her own vulnerabilities. It made him feel proud, in a way, that he would always have a piece of her that no one else had. Not that he was thinking about that, since Ziva had already proven to him many a time that she didn't want anyone else.

"Thinking about someone special, Tony?" The soft voice of the woman in front of him brought him back to the present. Her chocolate eyes were serious, but the small quirk of her mouth betrayed her true emotions.

"Actually, I was." He replied, stepping around the car to get closer to her. "There's this girl I know, she's really been getting my attention lately. I can't stop thinking about her."

Ziva raised her eyebrows playfully and smiled. "I see. What is this girl like?"

"Oh, she's really hot, and her laughter is adorable, even though she doesn't think so. She also has a strange hobby of throwing things at me, for some reason. I think you'd like her, Ziva. You and her have a lot in common." Tony finished off standing next to Ziva, whose eyes were roaming over his tan skin.

"See something you like, Ziva?" He asked, deliberately turning the situation around.

"Yes, but he is an immature and-" She never got to finish her sentence because Tony suddenly snaked his arms around her from the back in an awkward hug. He made sure that his very wet and soapy body was pressed closely against her dry one.

"Tony! Ugh, now my clothes are dirty." Ziva groaned and slapped his arms but didn't make any effort to move. His arms only tightened around her waist. She felt Tony laugh and press a gentle kiss into her hair, making her smile fondly at him. She turned herself in his arms and touched his lips with hers.

"We need a shower." Tony whispered mischievously, when they broke the kiss.

"And my long awaited surprise?"

"I already gave it to you." Tony said, when he saw her expectant look, surprised that she didn't already figure it out.

"Seriously, Tony. Your surprise was washing your car? Even I could have come up with something better than that." Ziva asked, feeling exasperated at his little guessing game. At this, Tony shook his head, realizing that Ziva didn't understand what he was trying to accomplish.

"Will you at least tell me why you are doing all this?" Ziva asked, as she headed back towards the house. Tony trailed along behind her, and thought about how to phrase his answer without getting mauled by her. She noticed his hesitation and stopped in her tracks to glare at him.

"Simple reason. As far as I know, you've never had any memories of having fun while washing a car, even though almost every kid has done that. Since I assumed that you didn't have much time for fun when you were a kid, I'm using your birthday to help you recapture those moments that you may have missed out on." Her gaze immediately softened when she met his eyes again. For a moment, Tony was afraid that Ziva might hit him, but he was equally surprised to be enveloped in a tight hug from said person.

"Thank you." She spoke quietly into his shoulder, before pressing a small kiss into it. Tony smiled happily and pulled her closer to him.

"You know, we should really take that shower." He told her, breaking the moment. Ziva automatically pulled back from him and started moving back towards the house. She tugged on his hand to hurry him, making Tony frown. "But that doesn't mean we have to rush, Ziva."

"Well, I would not mind sharing the shower, if you hurry. After all, we can conserve energy and time." Ziva explained, and watched as Tony's eyes turned a dark shade of green that made her skin tingle with excitement.

As it turned out, Tony became the one who grew impatient with their pace and pulled Ziva straight into the bathroom, not that either one of them complained.

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Thoughts?


	2. Chapter 2

**Catching Memories-2**

Chapter 2 Unconventionally Perfect

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"Sorry, Miss, you really need to stop figeting so much, so that I can sketch properly." The middle aged man fiddled with his glasses and charcoal pencils, before glancing up at the brunette whose eyes kept drifting toward the man standing beside him.

"Yeah, Ziva! Listen to the man! I think he actually drew you cross eyed and slouching." The other man said, as he tilted his head in an exaggerated effort to show how slanted the picture was.

"Shut it, Tony. You are not the one who has to sit here for twenty minutes, without moving a muscle." The woman narrowed her eyes at her partner, making him laugh. The sketch artist thought he was lucky that her steely gaze was not directed at him, and he almost missed the underlying warmth and affection that she radiated for the man currently in her line of fire.

"Even if I was, I bet I'd still be able to do better than you." Tony said, with a hint of confidence, as he strode nearer to the woman's seat. The sketch artist even stopped trying to reposition the subject, to watch them trade barbs with a certain air of amusement.

"Hah! You are one to talk. You cannot even stay quiet for more than two minutes without coming up with some joke or movie reference!" Ziva quipped back playfully, while trying not to move too much, for the benefit of the artist. Although her tone was sharp, the sketch artist could tell that the shorter the distance between them, the brighter her smile became.

Tony leaned against her chair and shot her an incredulous look, his green eyes glistening with humor and excitement. He reminded her of a seven year old boy, who had just discovered a new toy to play with. Unfortunately, in this case, that new toy was her sanity. "You're on! I'll go after you."

"What!?" She exclaimed, with extreme disbelief and annoyance coloring her features.

"I'm serious! Let's do this, and ask the sketch artist who behaved better!" Tony explained, as if it was the most logical thing in the world, making her roll her eyes.

"Tony, that is the most absurd and immature idea you have had yet! We have already wasted enough of his time." She suddenly whirled around to the sketch artist, who was still shading and touching up, and gave him an apologetic smile.

"He's already getting paid for this! Why not let him earn a little bit more?" The sketch artist spared them another quick glance, and chuckled, as Ziva gritted her teeth and spun back to Tony with a newly lit fire present in her eyes.

"This whole thing today is for my benefit, yes? Then, why are you making things so difficult?!" She hissed, not with anger, but more of annoyance. She felt like she was talking to a stubborn child who refused to listen to anything she said, even if it was her favorite child.

"It doesn't really make that much of a difference to the plan, overall. Come on Ziva, I know you've DEFINITELY never had memories of this before!" At this point, any normal person would have either begged for forgiveness or run away, but all Tony did was to reiterate his point, and return her hard stare with full force.

"Well, now that I do, I definitely will not do this again with you." Ziva turned away from him, making Tony question exactly which one of them was being the most childish.

"You're just saying that because you know that I'll win." Tony grinned at her, and she opened her mouth to shoot him a retort, when there was a polite cough behind them.

"Excuse me, but I've completed the sketch you wanted. Would you both like to take a look at it before you resume your bickering?" The sketch artist stood in front of Ziva, and held out a piece of paper towards them with a kind smile. He had found the unconventional couple intriguing, to say the least. "I usually charge extra for couple sketches, but since it was...accidental, I'll give it to you at the normal price."

"Couple sketches?" Tony asked, bewildered. The artist just gave him a look and told him to take a look for himself. He gave the man the money, and raced back to Ziva, nearly snatching the drawing out of her hands to get a better look. It was a simple black and white sketch, but the sheer elegance of it, took their breath away.

**The man had managed to capture a moment of not just Ziva, but the two of them, in the midst of their banter and grinning at one another. Ziva was trying to state her point and although she was trying to be serious, her eyes and lips betrayed the smile in her features. Tony was leaning casually against her chair and smirking at her, with a hint of his usual arrogance in his posture. **

"It really brings out my style, doesn't it?" Tony asked, chuckling as he receieved a half hearted backhand slap from Ziva. "It's yours, by the way. Take it as an official birthday present for you to remember me by."

"Thank you, Tony. I shall definitely use it to remember you in future." She beamed at him happily, her short sentence telling him all the feelings that she would never dare to say out loud. Tony had never properly celebrated her birthday with her, and he had figured that she probably didn't make it a big deal. For a moment, Ziva had looked like she had just been handed the best gift of her life, a memory that she had never gotten the chance to make. That was enough for him.

He wanted to give her a day's worth of happy memories, in the hopes that perhaps, when she came across something that cut her so deep that she would not tell anyone, she could use these moments as a way to remember that her life was yet to be over.

Tony reached over and slipped an arm around her waist, tugging her closer to him as they made their way to their next destination. For once, Ziva simply smiled at the gesture, and moved even closer. She knew that she could take on anything as long as he was by her side.

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Thoughts?


	3. Chapter 3

**Catching Memories-3**

Hello everyone. First of, I apologise for being 2 days late. I got carried away with watching Suits:) If you're still reading this, then I just want to thank each and every one of you. I really appreciate you reading my stories. A writer is only what other people think of his/her stories. So, thank you all so much, for the reviews, alerts and favorites. They really mean a lot to me and I extremely thankful to you:) Sadly, this is the last chapter of this fic, or at least, the last one I've written. I probably won't have time to write much after this, because I have many exams coming up until mid November.

However, I hope you guys liked the story, and leave me some feedback so I can improve myself:) I will be back every now and then, but I won't be making any BIG things:) Until next time, then;)

Chapter 3 Future Memories

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At that height, the cool gusts of wind only amplified the electrifying feeling of being so high up. Ziva glanced down at the world far below her, and allowed herself a smile. The last time she recalled ever doing something like this, was when she had been stationed in the mountains to do surveillance on an enemy base camp. This was the first time she climbed for recreational purposes, and she was enjoying every minute of it.

Tony watched as she scaled the complex sculpture with speed and ease, and felt just a bit inadequate in comparison. He could still recall the days when he had not been terrified of rock climbing. The days when he and his mother used to take walks around the block aimlessly, and comment on the people rock climbing. All of that changed after his mother died.

He made it about half way up, a huge improvement from his time with Jeanne, before the immense fear of falling caught up with him. At first, he would have put the blame on the evening sun that kept shining into his eyes and disrupting his vision, and given up. However, this time, it was different. Tony simply closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, stretching his arm just a bit higher to reach the next rock.

"Tony, your age should forbid you from attempting this kind of sport." Ziva's voice came floating down from several feet above his head, accompanied by her soft laughter. It broke his train of thought and gave him a nice distraction.

"If that's the case, then you would most likely be forced to take up knitting." Tony threw back, with a seemingly forced smile.

"This, coming from the man who could barely make it half way up the tower?" Ziva chuckled as she glanced down at him, gauging his distance from her.

"Even then, I bet I could still push you off of it." He retorted.

"You could try." Ziva said, raising her eyebrows with confidence. "I doubt that you would get very far though."

Although she hid it well, Ziva realised that this may not have been a good idea, considering Tony's fear of rock climbing. She knew that he disregarded his own fears to plan this birthday for her, and it made her feel just a bit guilty for it.

The last time she remembered him attempting to climb up something like this, was when he was with Jeanne, and that did not go well. Her hawk eyes had managed to pick out the hesitation and fear behind his eyes in that split second, and she quickly climbed back down until she reached him.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." His voice was strained, and his breath was coming in pants. Ziva knew he was definitely not fine.

"I have already had the past experience of rock climbing, Tony. We can just stop and head back down now. We can even go early for that dinner reservation that I am pretending not to know about." She said, as her hands went down to hold the rope.

"It's not really about the climbing, and that's cheating!"

"It is not cheating if she was the one who told me first." Ziva said, feeling fairly justified about the matter. She intentionally ignored his other statement in the hopes of changing the subject, and convincing him to go down.

"Nice try, with the deflection thing, by the way. I am fine, Ziva." Tony insisted, instantly reading her mind. Ziva wanted to roll her eyes.

"Tony, you promised me before we left the house this morning, that if I did not want to continue this, we could stop." She knew that she was going on thin ice here, but she was worried about his safety. Even Gibbs knew that when it came to Tony, she would stop at nothing, including Tony himself.

"And you want to stop?" He asked, his voice suddenly filled with concern for her well being.

"No, it is just that-"

"This whole day was for your benefit. Don't worry about me. You don't need to." Tony gave her a hard look that made her feel quite confused. She knew that he was obviously trying to prove something to himself, even if he refused to admit it. Although she knew that there was still a lot about his past that she didn't know about, she could tell that this was really important to him. So, she reached out to grab his hand and guided him up the last few rocks.

After much effort, Ziva managed to pull him over the side of the rocks, and onto the flat platform on the top of the sculpture. She looked over the edge at the magnificent view of the park below them, and felt like they were in their own separate world. After a while, she noticed that Tony had stopped talking, and was just watching her.

"Was your brilliant plan to show me that you are still capable of performing your husbandly duties?" She teased, trying to lighten the heavy mood that had unknowingly befallen them. It felt awkward, and they were never awkward.

"That was actually part of the plan." Tony replied. Ziva frowned and bit back a snarky remark. She had been expecting an answer like "Are you asking?" from him. The absence of one made her feel uneasy. His tone was comparably more sober than usual, as if he was preparing to make some big confession.

"This is actually one of my own memories that I'm sharing with you. When I was a kid, my mother used to watch the sunset with me from the balcony of our house. It was always partially blocked by this rock wall though. She would always tell me that one day, I should find a better spot to view it, and take a nice girl with me." He said quietly. Ziva had unwittingly moved until she was pressed against his side, so she could feel him take a deep breath as he spoke. She knew how hard it was for him to talk about his past with her, so she kept her mouth shut and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Anyway, I grew up knowing a lot of people who worked here, so that's also how I got us this spot, until at least dinner time." He added, with a hint of his usual realisation that what had supposed to be a happy occasion had turned into a melancholic and depressing one, hit him hard, much like one of Gibbs' headslaps. He caught himself and quickly tried to change the subject.

"Oh, and about those husbandly duties, you KNOW I can perform them well." Tony said, giving her a look, and hoping that she would take his cue and carry on. It had been awkward enough already, having her help him climb up a rock wall.

"Oh, after this morning, I have no lingering doubt about your...abilities when it comes to performing in the bedroom." She sent him a sultry smile as she did a once over, openly pausing when she came to his more talented areas. The smile seemed to dim for a second, as a stray thought crossed her mind.

"How many girls have you brought here before me?" She asked casually, knowing that she didn't really want to know his answer.

"None, and hopefully, none after you." No sooner had he finished his sentence, was he tackled into an awkward but firm hug from Ziva. After a bit of a power struggle, he managed to get them settled into a position where Ziva's legs were placed over his. She had burrowed herself into his side with her arms wrapped tightly around him, and her long hair tickling his arm.

"Thank you, Tony. For everything." She whispered against his ear, her lips brushing his with a certain degree of gentleness, before she settled back into her original position. "Today was perfect."

"Almost. " He mumbled to himself, but she heard him, and knew exactly what he meant.

"An 'almost perfect' is already better than most. You cannot get much better than that."

"You deserve better." Tony sighed. Just then, Ziva pulled herself away from him forcefully, and leaned back until she was directly facing him. She took a deep breath to convince herself not to back out this time, and spoke directly from her heart.

"Tony, you have already given me more than I could ever ask for. You not need to be PERFECT for me to love you. I already do. I have, for a long time."

"Ye- Wait... Did you just-" The words finally registered in his mind, and at first, he thought he had misunderstood her.

"Yes, and I mean it. Do you not feel the same way?" Ziva had to control herself from wanting to take it back, and pretend that everything was normal again. She didn't like to admit it, but Tony's hesitation had surprised her, to say the least.

"Huh? Wait, what? NO. It's just that-" Tony stumbled over his words, trying to make sense of it all. It was all happening so fast, and he was feeling like Ziva was the one giving him a surprise.

"I have never actually told you, yes?" She said, finishing his sentence again.

"Well..."

"This is usually the part of the movie where you declare your feelings, if you have any, is it not?" Ziva asked, suddenly feeling very embarrassed. She looked up at Tony, who was silently gazing back at her from the other side of the platform, and couldn't meet his eyes. What if he had changed his mind? She wouldn't be able to deal with another rejection, especially if it was him.

However, her thoughts were cut short by a sudden movement from the corner of her eye. Tony moved to catch her chin, tilting her face until she looked at him, and was caught off-guard at the mix of insecurity and hope in her deep brown eyes.

"I love you, Ziva David. Past, present, and future. I'm willing to love you as long as you'll let me, so you don't have to worry about losing me. Ever." He leaned over and gave her a tender kiss, allowing themselves to revel in the unspoken promise of their future. When they finally broke apart for air, she gave him a genuine smile that made her eyes light up.

"So, are we climbing down again? It is almost time for our dinner reservations. We could race! After all, you would love to be back down on solid ground."

"Sure, and I'll just faint halfway. That way, I'll probably get down faster than you."

"I will take my time going down!"

"Fine, I'll give you a head start then." Tony made a gesture for her to set her stuff up and start on the descend. She gave him a weird look, but complied. As she was about to go down, he made a mad dash towards the back of the platform.

He had already started running down the emergency ladder when he shouted "Ready, get set, go!" to her. At first, she laughed in disbelief, and then it turned into amusement. She quickly decided to climb down with extra speed just to spite him. Who knew what surprises he might have in wait for her if she won.

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Thoughts?


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